Wayfaring tree

Common along waysides 🌳🍂
Viburnum lantana is a shrub 🌳 that grows up to 5 meters tall, found from plains to mid-mountain regions; it grows at the edges of woods and hedges. This shrub enlivens the landscape in May-June with its large white inflorescences that attract pollinators 🐝. In the autumn, the leaves take on a beautiful reddish color 🍂.
The fruits are initially red and turn black as they mature 🫐. Although they may look attractive, they are toxic to humans but are sought after by birds and small mammals that spread their seeds. In fact, this is one of the shrubs that colonizes abandoned fields, promoting the establishment of forests.
⁉️ Did you know? 😲
Wayfaring tree should not be confused with another “Lantana” from the Verbenaceae family, an ornamental species native to Central and South America.
Photo Pixabay